The Southern Ocean that encircles Antarctica lends a considerable hand in keeping Earth's temperature hospitable by soaking up half of the human-made carbon in the atmosphere and a majority of the planet's excess heat. Yet, the inner workings - and global importance - of this ocean that accounts for 30 percent of the world's ocean area remains relatively unknown to scientists. A new grant now seeks to make the Southern Ocean better known scientifically and publicly by creating a biogeochemical and physical portrait of the ocean. [Source: SOCCOM (Princeton University)]